In Sessions
by Monroe Happens
Summary: They're more than just Batman's Rogues Gallery. They each have their own stories of triumphs and failures. Of happiness and pain. Friendships, families and enemies. Above all this is just a simple story about the every day life of a psychopath.
1. With a Little Help From My Friends

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything but the randomness of the story, should you call it a story. _Words like this are song lyrics. I don't own them either. _

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><p>It was genius, clever and oh so simple in its brilliance. Harley was bored, annoyed and feeling down right vindictive. This plan. This game. It would show him. Her friends were clever and would catch on but he wouldn't. She was betting on it. It would drive him mad!<p>

The day had started out normal enough. The guards gave them food and they were escorted to the bathroom and showers. Those who had earned recreation time were then allowed to partake in the available activities. Ivy went to the community garden while the rest of the privileged rogues went to the TV area.

It was a rare occasion but The Joker had to seek out Harley. She sat alone on the couch seemingly reading the local paper. He jumped on the couch and leaned back, waiting for her to coo over him.

She didn't.

"Harley."

_"A friend in needs is a friend indeed, my Japanese is better_." She sang. She didn't make any further attempt to socialize with him.

"Huh?" Not one of his most thought out or intelligent responses but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of true speechlessness.

He heard sighing behind her paper. He snatched it from her hands and tossed it to the side.

_"A friend in needs is a friend indeed, a friend who bleeds is bette_r." She yawned and rested her head on her hand. Her elbow was propped on the arm of the sofa.

"What are you doing? What is that?"

"Look alive, sunshine." Her voice mimicked his own vocal inflections.

Ivy chose that moment to join them. She pushed The Joker out of the way by knocking him to the side with her hip and sat next to Harley.

"_Hello again, friend of a friend. I knew you when our common goal was waiting for the world to end_."

"Pammy, what-

Ivy turned to face him abruptly. Her eyes full of fire.

_"I'll be your friend in hell. Until then I **despise** you_."

His reaction was satisfactory and she turned away. The girls chatted and acted as if The Joker hadn't existed.

The Joker shook with fury but opted no to attack right then. Partly because they had more guards in the room than usual and mostly because there was something on the idiot box that he actually wanted to watch and isolation meant no TV.

"I don't understand it. I think they're trying to get to me." The Joker decided to spend time getting his own amusement by pestering Crane and Tetch. They had been so focused on their little game, they hadn't noticed him coming.

_"I am the one who haunts your dreams of mountains sunk below the sea_." Crane said in a robotic tone. The Joker was not amused. They got to Johnny boy too!

"Really? Jonnhy what's the game?"

"Chess." Tetch answered. He knew what The Joker had meant but felt like furthering his annoyance.

"_I'm the masked horror on your street corner_." Crane pushed his piece forward.

"Checkmate."

Deeply infuriated The Joker left them and ventured to find someone willing or at least intimidated enough by him to give him the answers to this riddle. The Joker knew who his next target was! He gleefully skipped to where Edward aka The Riddler usually hung around.

"Riddle me this, riddle me that, what the hell is going with the others?"

"_Any dolt with half a brain can see that humankind has gone insane, to the point where I don't know if I'll upset the status quo by putting poison in the water main_." He said with even less feeling than the others.

He didn't look up from his crossword puzzles or show any signs of fear. The Joker did not like this one bit. It was like everyone was in on some kind of joke and he wasn't allowed in on the know. How dare they! He _knew_ what was funny! He's _The Joker_.

"That's it! I demand to know what the hell is going on!" He moved to the center of the room. The guards were ready to pounce in case things got ugly. The reaction was almost non existent.

"Drop the attitude Mister J. You're acting like Garfield on a Monday." Edward, Ivy and Harley laughed while many remained confused but continued to ignore it.

"What's going on!"

"It's not a _nice_ feeling is it? Being _excluded_." Harley's usual bubbly and gleeful demeanor was gone. In its place was that good ol' female self esteem Ivy had tried so desperately to instill in her.

The emphasis on the word, "excluded," brought him back somewhere. Ah. Ah! Aaaah. He had planned on breaking out soon and she was not involved in the escape. Perhaps someone heard him mention this.

"Aaah. Dollface, you know I would never exclude you on purpose." He tried to sound as sincere as possible. He opened his arms and Harley got up from the couch and walked over. He expected her to walk into hims arms but instead she reached up and pinched his nose.

"Gotcha." She released and walked over to Ivy. The Joker felt very conflicted. On the one hand he wanted to throw a chair at her and on the other hand he was rather attracted to this side of her.

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><p>The songs: Pure Morning- Placebo, Surprise, Surprise- The Starting Line, Black Sheep- Metric, The Night Surgeon-from repo! the genetic rock opera. My Eyes- from Dr. Horrible. Play crack the sky- Brand New<p> 


	2. Destroy And Rebuild

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything but the randomness of the story, should you call it a story. These are going to be series of one shots that may or not may be connected. A slice of life type of thing. It's late so I will probably be updating this if I see any glaring errors.

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><p>Jervis liked precious few things these days. What had once been his sanctuary was now a vile piece of filth. Something dirty. Something he had made disgusting and unclean. He ruined Wonderland. Violated the child's story that brought him joy and perhaps happiness. He could never go back to that place. As a child he had no friends but he had books. He had Alice.<p>

As an adult he took the only woman he had loved. He striped away her freedom to think and love because she didn't understand that they were meant to be together. That's their reward for the trials of this life. To be together forever in Wonderland. That was his plan. All he had wanted was to be with his Alice and yet. His anger and malice killed the dream and he lost Wonderland. He lost the girl, the world and happiness.

The days at Arkham for the most part are so mundane that he can't keep track of the flow time. Does it exist in these walls? Vaguely the scientist inside of him would argue that silly thought but he hasn't listened to him in years. What good did it do him anyway?

The other Rouges he had been carted off with were of no interest to him nor did many of them care about him. He had a chess partner. Fantastic. He spoke so little these days. His doctors (he is one of the only Rogues who has had the same psychologist since he had been admitted).

"You're doing it again." Dr. Leland said with a sigh. She looked at Tetch and his eyes were glazed over and his face off to the side, as if he was catching something behind.

"I beg you're pardon?" He blinked several times and tried to focus back to her.

"You often have this far away look in your eyes. Is something bothering you? I've noticed you're distancing yourself. You haven't participated in recreational activities for weeks. You've earned that reward. You should accept it. You like playing chess, correct?"

"These are several separate issues." He kept his low and tried to sound apathetic. Leland didn't buy into it and sighed.

"I apologize. I let myself get carried away. Is there something you would like to discuss? Let's start with, why are you not taking part in those activities?

"I lost interest, to put it simply." He was looking to the side again. Joan resisted the urge to stand in front of him and clap her hands together. He was always looking off in the distance. Boredom? Longing for something?

"Are there any activities you wish that were offered?"

He said nothing and continued to stare off.

"Jervis-"

"She got married today. To _him_." His eyes narrowed and turned to a darker tint. Joan knew that look and the rant that would soon follow.

"How do you know they got married, Jervis? Have you kept contact?" She knew for a fact that Alice had no desire in reconnecting with him.

"Him." He snorted bitterly. He clenched his fists tightly. He could feel those little half moon marks start to form and pressed his nails in deeper.

"Jervis-" Joan looked at his hands and bent forward to reach out to him, to comfort him. She did like him. He was one of the kinder inmates.

"He sent me an announcement." He reached into his pocket and held it out.

"Perhaps it was," To show you-Joan couldn't finish the thought and the sentence left the world. Jervis had his attention on the card in his hands. His fingers traced over the words and he crumpled it.

"She chose this." He let the crumpled envelope and covered his face with his hands. Joan got up from her seat, picked up the envelope and unfolded it.

"Chose to marry someone else?" Jervis jerked his up and glared at her. Joan frowned.

"She chose _this_. Stupidity and to be unhappy and bored. I was ready. I was ready and willing her to give her everything."

"Wonderland?" Joan asked sadly. He shook his head.

"I destroyed that the day I took away her free will. I could have made her happy. We could have rebuilt it. She turned her back on that." He opened his mouth, wanting to continue but he quickly closed it. He looked down at the floor.

"Alice chose what made _her_ happy." Joan waited for the backlash and the anger. Jervis said nothing for a moment and continued to glare at the ground.

"I couldn't make her happy. Not like that."His voice low and his eyes softened too. There were no more traces of malice or anger. Joan offered him her hand.

"I can't make her happy." He repeated. He looked at the offered hand and debating on whether to take the offer of peace. The burning in his chest increased. His eyes. He couldn't see from the blur and the pain of the salty liquid. He had made a promise long ago, that his purpose in this world..

"I failed."

He took the offered hand and Joan smiled.


	3. The Buddy System?

**Disclaimer:** If I were Paul Dini or Bob Kane then my life would be so much easier. Sadly, I am not either of these men and in fact have no claims to any characters. I _do_ own a golden retriever and some debt. I am willing to part with debt but not the dog.**  
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><p>Edward stared blankly at the piece of paper that had been handed to him. His eyes flickered with the little of something Joan was crossing her fingers for. He looked back at her expectantly. She straightened up back to doctor mode.<p>

"Any questions?"

"Is this a trick?" He flicked the paper with his fingers. The paper gracefully floated in a downward spiral motion to the floor.

"A trick? What do you mean, Edward?" She tried to keep her voice neutral but these Rogues knew all the ways to find weakness and eat you alive.

"I'll rephrase myself. Is this a joke?"

Ah.

"No, Edward. This is a serious," she did not like how that sentence tasted, " it is something that Dr. Arkham is implementing."

"A buddy system?" He arched a brow. None of her colleagues liked the idea either. She released the tension from her shoulders and sighed.

"Yes. You write the names of five friends and over the course of a set time period you spend time with them during recreation activities." Edward squinted and his nostrils flared.

"What friends?"

"If you do not write down names, we will assign a buddy for you." She tried to sound optimistic.

"This is stupid." He crossed his arms and turned his head to the side. he closed himself off from further socialization. Joan bid her farewell and left the room.

Edward peered down at the paper and snorted. After a moment he bent down and picked it up.

Joan's next appointment was a bit more upbeat. For whatever reason, Harley loved Joan. She listened to her, never insulted or threaten her life or pets. She treated Joan more like a friend and not a doctor or enemy. This had been both good and bad.

"A buddy system? Hmm."

Harley took the crayon. She scribbled down several names and proudly fawned over her work. She gleefully handed back the paper and Joan felt a wave apprehension.

_1. My Pudding_  
><em>2. JohnnyRed_  
><em>3. Hats<em>  
><em>4. Cat Lady<em>

Joan tried to stifle her groan of frustration. Cat Lady? Could she mean Cat Woman? She was never a patient. Right?

"Harley. You are not allowed to spend time with The Joker. He's in extreme isolation for assaulting you last week. Jonathan and Pamela-" Joan paused. Harley had her grumpy face on and sat crossed leg and arms crossed now.

"Harley, I'm sorry but-" Joan closed her eyes and braced herself. Harley jumped from her chair and started to rage.

"Pudding wouldn't do anything to hurt me on purpose! And what's wrong with Red and Johnny! You said to write down my friends! This isn't fair!"

"Pamela and Joker are- usually when you relapse and escape, you are either with The Joker or Pamela."

"So!"

"They are also the ones you typically spend the most time with. The object of this exercise is to expand your social barometer."

"Oh." Harley relaxed and sat back down on the chair.

Progress, sort of. Harley asked for another piece of paper and Joan left feeling a little more satisfied. The last appointment of this nature was going to be a little more tricky.

Jervis did not say anything for a long time. The seconds felt like hours. Joan did not want to push him but he was so closed off from everyone and everything in this world. He needed something outside Wonderland and needed it now.

"Jervis, if you don't have anyone in mind, we'll assign someone." She said softly. He continue to sit in silence and stare off vacantly.

"I have someone."

Joan had not expected that and leaned forward, her interest piqued.

"Oh?" She waited for him to speak. He licked his lips before continuing.

"Yes."

She listened and filled out his sheet for him.

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><p>After a course of two weeks the first batch of inmates had a trial run of the buddy system that the director of asylum introduced. Recreation hours were longer, it was no longer given on a reward basis and you had to spend your time with your new buddy.<p>

You eat all meals with them too. There was a trial cafeteria as well. The head of security and the doctors fought to change Dr. Arkham's mind but he was the ultimate authority and decided otherwise.

"This is ridiculous." Edward stabbed his "steak" with his plastic spoon. Jervis said nothing and drank cold tea. It was supposed to be warm but it was Arkham, not a higher caliber food establishment.

"The tea is better today." It wasn't but pretending helped. Edward stabbed his food and groaned.

"How am I supposed to eat this with a spoon?" He throw down the utensil in disgust.

"At Blackgate they've killed with spoons." Jervis said tonelessly. He stared at his own food.

"I would be fine with a spork." Edward considered using his hands to break down the food but he was not an animal. Coincidentally, several blocks away The Joker was gleefully doing just that.

"Sporks have those sharp bits. We're lucky we have spoons." Jervis was able to cut his "meat" with his spoon. Edward tried not to appear impressed. He was.

"I've never hurt anyone with a spork!" It's true.

"I threw hot tea at someone once. I believe it gave them scars." Jervis thought back somewhat fondly.

"Are we playing chess again? I like Trivia Pursuit. I want to play that." Jervis did not like that game but for the last three days they did nothing but eat, play chess and hold meaningless and shallow conversations.

"I don't mind."

Jervis traded trays and worked on the Edward's "steak". He wasn't sure if he should be insulted or to eat the food. He chose to glare and then eat.

"What were you before this?" Jervis asked. There was some sadness in his voice.

"What did I do, you mean? I designed computer games for children. Learning games. The kind that made you really think. None of this, say map, ten times crap." He shook the spoon wildly and lost some food.

"I was a scientist. I worked for Wayne Industries." Edward nodded.

"You made those microchips or something."

"Sometimes I miss it." He took a bit of whatever was on the plate. His face turned pale.

"I don't. My boss was an idiot. He screwed me out of all my money." Edward was a bit bitter about that still.

"My boss was awful. She was cold and cruel but I never felt in danger. I miss feeling safe. If I leave here, Batman will stalk my every movement. If I stay, I have to guard myself against the likes of the Joker, abusive orderlies and guards."

"Life sucks."

"Cheers."

They clinked plastic cups.

"_What_!"

Edward and Jervis whipped their heads around. Harley stood up from her table. Her tray flipped off and landed onto to her lap before bouncing to the floor. She grabbed her ears fiercely and started chanting, "la la la la,"

She then ran from the room while two guards went after her. Edward and Jervis exchanged looks and shrugs.

"Honestly." Jervis chided as he placed an unfolded napkin in his lap.

"If she didn't want Baby Doll as her buddy,"

"She should have something." Jervis concluded.


	4. Mad is as!

"Are you a scientist?" It was a simple question wasn't it?

Jervis and Edward had decided to spend the afternoon playing cards in the empty day room. The day room for cell block D. The least hostile patients Arkham houses. These were mostly children and young adults or the old who could not care for themselves. Issues varied. The point was that cell block D was a good distance away from the cell block C. The likes of the Rogues Gallery, the serial killers and like.

They had the most intricate set of electronic locks, firewalls and tough security "protecting" them for the evils of cell block C residents. It was a fireable offense if any D and C block patients made contact with each other. There also was a kill the C blocker before the D blocker dies or know what he/she are in for protocol.

Arkham had high hopes and respect for the D block. They were non violent in most cases. They could use spoons on Tuesday. C blockers were jealous. Or rather, Jervis and Edward wanted to be able to use spoons. Plastic spoons were now banned because of the recent events involving Mary Dahl and Harley Quinn.

Edward refused to settle for this. For that last two months he had been compliant with all the rules. He stopped leaving passive aggressive riddles and threats. He took up chess. He is not any good at it but he can cheat the hell at it and win using _those_ skills.

He decided he had enough of this no fork and spoon nonsense after he had been served with not utensils with last nights meal.

Jervis had started taking up hacking electronics as a hobby. He liked it. They even let him help with IT problems at the Asylum. Under guarded chaperone and with an AK47 pointed at his head and chest. He felt no malice towards the man who has asked for his help and he happily obliged. He also made a copy of all the key codes for D block.

That brings more to the present. Jervis gave the signal, Edward followed, few knocked out guards and hacks later, they were in the D block day room and had their treasured spoon. Real spoons. The metalish kind! Those bloody bastards.

"Are you a scientist?" Edward asked after he took a spoonful of pudding. Jervis had propped his legs on the coffee table by the sofa. He considered the question.

"No. I was fired by Wayne Industries."

Edward shook his head and made a jab motion at the air with his spoon. He missed the cold metal touch more than he would like to say.

"I'm not asking about your career or what you did before this. I am asking you who _are_ you? _Are_ you a scientist?"

Jervis spent too long inside his head before he could answer. He needed more practice. He nodded before the vocal confirmation.

"I am a mad man without a hat. Science is my religion. Alice is my damnation."

Edward accepted this as fact.

"I'm an intellect." He said. He offered the Englishmen more tea. Tea and pudding. They were in heaven. To be honest, they just grabbed anything that required or could be made better with a spoon.

"Not a mad riddler?" Jervis took a sip of his tea. It wasn't the best or the worst but the spoon had made it better. Logically he knew that made no sense, but he made it a point not to listen.

"I like wordplay, wit, trivia and trivial things. I _need_ books, science, and math in my life. I need to constantly test myself on knowledge. It's never enough." Edward took a very generous helping of the tea.

"To be brief, a nerd." He felt a little bit of pride.

It was not long before the conversation turned to the other rogues. It was here that Jervis discovered that Edward was afraid of Jonathan Crane.

"Pamela is just a fancy gardener." Jervis agreed with that.

"The Joker. Let's come back to him later." They didn't.

"Harley is-

" A confused child." Jervis felt that matched her well.

"No. Harley is broken. I see her and I." Edward trailed off and finished his tea.

"You see what?" Jervis wanted to hear the rest of this.

"My mother liked to collect clowns, harlequins. It was a hobby I suppose. She had this favorite, dressed in a pale purple thing. Porcelain face. My mom named her Harriet but called her Harry. Her name is Harriet, mom would say but she called her Harry herself. It was stupid."

"That's irrelevant. Please tell me the point."

"One day my dad comes home, drunk as usual and he tears the place apart. He breaks the cabinet that held my mom's favorite harlequin. Her face cracked. A little piece under her left eye, the cheek. A chunk came off. When I see Harley, I see her like that doll. Broken."

"Maybe she needs someone to piece her back together."

"That's was a terrible one."

"Her black eye is terrible. He may not always hit her but it is disgusting to pretend their relationship is normal. Even for us."

"I'm not worried for her. The Joker wouldn't kill her. Harley has friends. He's not that stupid."

"Pamela is powerful in many ways." Jervis concluded.

"Not just her." Edward shifted awkwardly on the couch. Something made him nervous.

"Then who?' He asked, curious now.

"Crane." He shuddered and let out a hiss as if saying his name caused him a great deal of pain. Jervis made a note to keep a record of this. Perhaps he was a scientist.


	5. Tonight,  Scene 1 Act 13

_There is sign. I know that the sign is there because I put it there. I was told to put it up because the television is out of order. The nice big crack would usually have shouted this, but they asked me to put up the sign._

_One by one I watched them sit on the couch and pick up the remote. The send off into rage varies but not by too much. The average is about five seconds. Harley is usually first. She steps on the remote and would have continued to bounce if I hadn't intervened. I was told that these patients had been doctors, lawyers and scientists from various fields. Yet, this one sign must have been either invisible or written in another language._

_Gotham's finest. No. Arkham's. I will save this city from their disease. Only a matter of time. I will smile at them, treat them the way ethics command. I will save them and Gotham. I will purge this place of all the dark. I promised her I promised her I promised her. _

"Joy of joys, Joan. The Joker gets out of EI today. That's going to be a fun walk. They want me to check his stats. Chen backed out." Dr. Cassidy. She was never late for her moan of the day. Joan hated tense mornings like these.

"That's just one of them. Aaron Cash is walking his favorite down to his new cell."

The color drained from her colleague's face. That would also be a very intense, worry some, horrible, emotional and physically draining task for everyone. Plus those cannibal comments were all kinds of creepy and disturbing.

"Are you ready, Doc?" Joan's armed escort had arrived just on time. She smiled and prepared to leave. It was going to be one of those days.

"Where are you headed?"

"Kellermen transferred Jonathan Crane back to me. We have our session in a few minutes."

"Oooh. I don't know who is creepier. Joker or that one." Cassidy and Joan both walked out of the office.

"That's not the word I would use to describe them. May your escort with the Joker be a complete disaster."

"May Crane stab you the face with your pen." Both ladies mocked a bow towards each other before taking off in separate directions.

The boys who worked one of the various security console rooms found it quite odd that the cameras were showing very strange images.

"That's the Warden's room." One said. The image flickered and faded for just a moment. The man next to him played with the feed and then things got curious.

"That's not the Warden." They leaned in close on the monitor. The man at the computer typed at rapid speed.

"This is an old video file. Someone is hacking the camera."

Then it dawned on them who had just been allowed to update their system after it crashed.

"Get Leland to check on him. If he's not in his cell we may have a problem."

"_May_?"

All the monitors went dead. There was a problem. Both men attacked their radios. Which were also useless.

Joan on the other hand was having her own issues. Not long after she started her trek down the hall and into the wing where Crane had been held she felt a sensation. A sharp, painful one at the side of her temple. Something struck her with such force she lost the air in her lungs. She collapsed.

"Help me." A hoarse voice rasped in her ear.

Joan's eyes widened and her body became tense. She couldn't breathe. She could feel warm liquid trickle down the side of her temple. Vision fading and static. The shadow of a creature stood before her.

"Help me cleanse Gotham."

Joan had something she wanted to say about that. She tried to speak, form words, push him away but the pain in her head, took hold of her. She couldn't fight it any longer. The darkness consumed her vision.

"I don't want to play poker. I like trivia pursuit!" Edward crossed him arms and glared at the group who dared to gather before him. Jervis decided to make more friends without him.

"You cheat at trivia games." Pamela Isley said airily. She checked her nails in boredom and planned how she would pay Harley back for this suggestion.

"He cheats at everything." Jervis added. He made everyone cups of tea. They were warming up to him. Only took three years of awkward silence.

"Oh come on! We could play monopoly." Everyone save Jervis groaned. Harley kept her smile on her face despite her friends.

"Harley, we never finish the game because we all end up strangling each other." Pamela said.

"No one is playing anything. Get back to your cells. Jervis you're coming with Briggs." Jervis was jerked to his feet by this "Briggs" fellow and led away without a word.

"Hey! We were good this week! We get an hour of rec!" Harley had considered tossing some of those cups of hot tea.

"This is a lock down. You will have your activity time again soon." Several guards pushed the Rogues to the corridor leading to their cells.

"I hope it's not Mistah J! I haven't been able to spend any time with him." Harley swooned as she walked. Pamela rolled her eyes.

"If it is him, I hope he has the decency to get stuck in a ditch for a week. I need a vacation from him."

"Reeed!"

"I hate him. That's never going to change."

"You do deserve better." Edward said, he was feeling brave and hoped it would not cost him anything.

"Like Edward said." Pamela Isley agreed! He felt a surge of something. Progress! Maybe there was a method to Jervis's sudden madness at wanting to befriend these people.

While the Rogues strolled along to their cells, Joan was facing the cold darkness. Small space. Can't move or feel body. Legs. Immobile. It'll be okay okay okay okay.

She was pulled to dim light and met her ex director.

"This will protect you." Joan eyes had let her down. She knew this place. The morgue. Jeremiah placed both hands on her head. This would be fine.

"Jeremiah, you're-" He pulled his hands back quick as a flash and pushed her back in the dark.

"Sleep now."

He danced around to the music of his mind. Change! He found his new partner! Though, she wasn't his first choice. Aaron Cash wasn't going to win any beauty contests.

His dance ended sooner than he had planned. Aaron Cash grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him into the arms of one of his men. Jeremiah was soon sedated and led back to his cell.

"Take him back to his room. I want every inch of this asylum searched. You will find Leland!"

"What's the meaning of this!" Jeremiah demanded. His voice cold and full of fire.

"We're just taking you back to the office. We're going back over the plans. You know, save Gotham right?" The man holding his left arm said.

"Yeah, Doc. We're just regrouping." The said man to his right.

"Yes, yes. We must be prepared." Jeremiah accepted this.

Just another night at Arkham Asylum.

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><p>yeah it's rushed but this will be a story arc told in two more parts-mac is being evil. Post next bits soon.<br>cheers

X


	6. Game on, thou villainy!

_Almost time almost time almost time _

_I will make them pure and sing. The city will be cleansed. No more no more no more filth or vile._

_This is all for you for you for you for my dear my love my Gotham_

Jervis did not like being man handled and thrown around like cheap meat or a bag of hot chips. After an uninformative and bruising trek down several halls and levels of the asylum he was finally into a dark room. The doors behind him were locked.

Lights suddenly turn on, blinding him. He put his hands to protect the eyes immediately but strained to see through the pain and the light.

"Hello?" He looked around. They brought him to an operation theatre. The room was grand and empty. There was a stretcher, he supposed that he was meant to sit/use it. He did.

"_Comfortable_?" A voice he did not know asked through the intercom. Jervis knew it wasn't, but he felt like the owner of the voice had been near him. He suppressed the cold shudder.

"I could go for a cup of tea." That would make him feel more at ease. He waited for the scold that was sure to come.

"_How many sugars_?"

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><p>With shaking hands, Joan turned on the tap for hot water. It hadn't been too long before she had been found. It was only logical, she supposed, that they would search the morgue before leaving it and after a few minutes she had been found. However, how long had she been in that place? She couldn't be sure.<p>

What she was sure of- she needed a hot bath and the fires of all to console her. She wrapped herself with the blanket Aaron had given her and waited for the water.

Images of the previous events replayed in her mind, stuck, like a broken record. Jeremiah. Being struck down. Being slid into that cold empty space. His words. That voice. Those eyes. Joan grabbed her head and slid down to the floor.

She tried to control her breathing. Slow breaths but it didn't quell the twisted stomach or the acid taste on her tongue.

Joan is one of the strongest mentally at Arkham, She can get through this, can't she?

"_Help me."_

Joan felt her body tense. That voice. Those eyes. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to hum a song she knew. A song she loved as a kid that always made her feel better.

Always.

She wiped the pain from her eyes and swallowed back the memories.

She turned off the tap.

Dropped the blanket.

She submerged her body in liquid fire.

* * *

><p>The voice hadn't lied. The doors opened and guard came in holding a tray of tea. He offered it wordless to Jervis before leaving silently as he came.<p>

"_Do you trust me yet?"_

"I trust that you may give me tea."

"_You're different from the others. You don't belong here."_

That's a sentence he's not used to hearing when it came to this subject. Jervis knew that places he did belong to made a short list and Arkham had been at the top. He shifted in the makeshift chair and tapped the sides of the cup. What exactly was the point of this and why was he taken?

"_You're better suited to help me in areas that no one else can."_

"To help you with what, exactly?"

The doors opened and the lights closest to Jervis shut off. He strained his eyes to the face of the new shadow that stood in the archway of the open door.

"Edward?"

Edward was just as clueless and confused as him. There were no guards in the hallway now. Jervis removed himself from the not chair and went toward his friend.

"What's going on? The door to my cell opened and-what? Where did?" Edward looked around swiftly.

"I'm not sure."

"_Neither of you belong here. I'm offering you you're freedom. Take it."_

"Who is that?"

"I have no idea."

It was strange for both of them. They found their way to the front door of the asylum. No guards in sight and no sign of anyone else being allowed the same freedom as them. The door was unlocked. There had been no trick, traps of gimmicks. They were honestly being set free by that unknown.

As they both set foot outside the main grounds, Jervis felt something inside pull him and he stopped.

"What are you doing? We're being let go." Edward did not share the feeling.

"This isn't right." Jervis turned and looked at Arkham Asylum. He's never taken the time to really look at the place. This had been his home for some time now and he never really could describe it outside of, "boring," and "hell," but that wasn't quite right.

"Right or wrong we're being let go." Edward shrugged.

"But the others. Something is clearly wrong. They could be in danger." He was never one to be an actual hero and he felt like a ponce for even saying these words. But in his heart of hearts he knew he couldn't just leave. Not like this.

"Who cares? They don't know us or like us. Screw 'em."

"But we're the same. Like it or not. I can't leave them behind."

Jervis made his choice. He turned back. He couldn't leave. He had no where else to go to be honest and he really did want to know.

"This isn't some story where you'll get the girl in the end or people will praise you, nor will anyone sing about your glory!" Edward clenched his fists in rage. He really didn't want to go on alone.

"I know."

Jervis reached for the door.

"I'm a scientist and you're an intellect. Aren't you curious?"

Edward didn't want to go on alone but he didn't want to help the people who hated him and cared nothing for him either.

But.

"Think of this as a grand puzzle or riddle. Don't you want to solve it?"

He found himself standing next to his only friend.

They entered the building together.

"_This won't do at all."_

The building's electricity shut down.

Several angry voices fill the air making it a very loud, confusing space. The ones were not lucid were the most clam in comparison, but they were also running around or hitting their head against their cell walls like usual.

Some needed the electricity to survive. The man known as Mr. Freeze wouldn't last very long once the last bit of cool air left him. The rest of C block's intricate locks were now inactive leaving them to roam free.

The only thing stopping them from escaping was the fact that for some reason that now all the exits had remained locked.

"Red, are you coming? We're free!" Harley shouted with glee. Red or Pamela, remained in her cell. She had no intention of joining the chaos. She knew what was out there waiting amongst the weak idiots.

"Harley, if we're free that means everyone is." Pamela went over to her treasure, her rose.

"Yeah, Mistah J and Johnny and-"

"Victor Zsasz." Pamela said casually. Harley blinked. She hadn't thought of him.

Pamela did not want to have to encounter a lunatic like him.

"Well, we could just avoid him!"

"I have no interest in playing or being a pawn in whoever's game this is."

Harley felt conflicted. She wanted to find her boyfriend and other friends but Red was her bestite. She wanted to spend time with her too! Everything she said was true though. A lot more unstable people were out there and Harley was scared of some of the others.

"We could play our own game!"

Pamela caressed her rose one last time before gently placing it back in its spot. She fixed her hair and turned to Harley, game face on and ready to play.

"What do you have in mind?"

The blonde smiled.

_Somewhere in a dark corner of light, two beings were talking._

"This isn't going to work." He sighed. Being the sane one was a new change but this plan was a dream not a full reality.

"This is how you heal the ill."

"Madness plus madness does not equal sanity. I regret to say."

Regret.

That's something he never thought of in this way or circumstance. He regretted not killing the useless peon who betrayed him thus resulting in him sent him back to this place. If they had the audacity to still be alive the next time he was out. . .

He smiled at the thought of the fun those two would have.

"Kill The Riddler. He shouldn't have been allowed to leave. Precious gift, freedom. He spat in the face of my courtesy." The monitor they had been watching featured Jervis and Edward making their way through the darkness and chaos.

"Not Jervis too?"

"No. Save him for later."

"Of course." He bowed and left the room.

Jonathan Crane stuffed his hands in the pockets of his fancy doctor's coat and started to whistle his favorite song.

Sharks are never meant to be held on a leash and he just broke free.

Oooooooooh.

The fun and fear.

The information he can uncover.

It was going to be one of those nights.


	7. Carnage here and there and that

**So I lied. There is going to _one more_ final part to this arc. I got carried away and this is what happened. Will it make sense? Do I want it to make sense? I don't know. I did a minor scan of errors and I'll check back tomorrow and re upload a cleaner version if it's a hot mess of glaring issues. My eyes are on fire at the moment. Can't even see typing this. Enjoy. Hope so at least. Thanks for the reviews! if you'd like to see a character who hasn't been written about, tell me in a review and I'll do my best to come up with something. As always I am not Bob Kane or any current writer of Batman comics or the animated series or well anything to do with batzy. long disclaimer ends hereish.**

* * *

><p>It was ridiculous. Chen, Cassidy and Kellermen were not amused by their current predicament. They had been going about their nightly shifts when the Arkham guards had corralled the doctors into one of the therapy rooms and locked the door.<p>

"What is going on?" Chen was the first one to speak. He hadn't wanted to of course but someone has to ask the question and it seemed that no one else had been willing.

"Lock down. Someone tampered with the security cameras and all the cells in block C are open. The rest of the facility is contained, thank God." Said the guard by the door with the scary looking gun. Was it an AK47? Chen knew nothing about guns. He felt very uneasy. It didn't matter in the end if you had a scary gun, the C Block inmates could take you down with a piece of string.

"Just the C Block?" Cassidy spoke up. She wish she had left Joan but knew it didn't matter. If they wanted to find you, they would. She looked at the scary gun and gave a silent prayer.

"We thought it would be best if we kept all the doctors together before anything could happen." Said the guard.

"Where is Murphy? And we're missing-" Kellermen's question was cut off as the lights. Each doctor gather close together instinctively.

"What happened to the lights?" Cassidy hated being so weak. Chen just wish he had taken up his friend's offer on that shooting range the pervious month.

"Oh, don't worry about that." The guard did not seem to be affected by the situation at all. Clearly he was new and Aaron had kept the juicy bits of the job from him.

"_Don't worry_? Joker has taken over this asylum before!" Cassidy had the overwhelming urge to scratch this guards eyes out. Don't worry that a bunch of violent psychopaths just broke free from their cells?

"Oh. I would't worry about The Joker." the guard smiled. Chen, Kellermen and Cassidy each took two steps backwards in almost perfect unison.

_Somewhere else in the dark abyss._

"This is absolutely inane. I just thought that you should know. Completely stupid." Edward was not impressed. They were crawling around in an air vent for some unknown and illogical reason.

Jervis stopped and turned to face his cranky comrade.

"I'm not using one of my cards on you. You are free to do as you please." He waited for Edward to respond. When he didn't he turned back around and continued crawling. The vents were surprisingly sturdy.

"Well, I can't just leave you to solve this on your own. You need to my help. I am the expert in all puzzling matters." Edward also failed to mention that he did not want to go out in the world alone now that he knew what it was like to have a friend. Of course he would never admit this out loud.

"Whatever you say, Edward." Jervis was happy that Edward had decided to join him after all. He would however, admit this if asked.

"_Jervis. Do you hear that_." Edward whispered tensely.

Jervis stopped moving. The vent was moving slightly. The creak creak creak did nothing to relieve tension either.

Not good.

Edward backed up in vain. The vent collapsed. Both men fell into unknown territory.

Edward and Jervis both landed on their backsides in the center of a dark room. Well all rooms were now dark since all the electricity had been cut off.

Jervis looked up.

A something was in the center.

Edward looked up.

He glared at the hole that he had fallen through.

"Who's that? I'll find out who you are." The mindless cackle that came after those words identified the being.

"Joker?" Jervis looked over. His eyes started to adjust to the darkness. The Joker was tied to a chair and something had been placed over his head, like a bag, concealing his face.

"Hats? Perfecto! Untie me!" The Joker if he could, would have shaken his legs with glee and anticipation. He did not have the ability. He tried to wiggle his body but he lacked the engery.

"Who tied you up?" Edward got to his feet. He had no intention of helping but he was curious.

"I don't know! Do you think I would let them get away with this if I knew!"

Jervis walked around him. A cord of some kind had been wrapped around The Joker's waist. The cord trailed along the floor and out into the hall. Jervis wanted to know what that was for.

"Edward, what do you think that is for?"

Edward followed his movements.

"What are you attached to?"

"Delicious electroshock therapy! My favorite Arkham cocktail. It really knows how to knock you on your ass! Every, I don't know, ten minutes it gives a KICK. "

"Something could set off if we released him." If Edward had gone to the task and managed to tie up The Joker like this he sure as hell would make sure that he wouldn't be easily untied.

"What is charging it? All the electricity is off." Jervis tapped the cord.

"Unless it had a separate energy source."

"_Untie me_." The Joker growled dangerously. Even in a state like this he was someone you did not reckon with.

"It would be prudent to make absolute sure that nothing would happen while this. . . cord is attached and possibly active." Jervis poked the cord on the ground with his shoe.

"Who cares if it it's active!"

"Well, you could explode." Edward tried not to smile at the thought.

"Oh."

"Indeed."

"It looks like it leads out there." Edward nodded towards the door. Jervis accepted this as a course of action and moved in that direction.

"We'll see what we can do."

"Hurry up!"

The Joker hated having to count on others. He hated when he needed help from others. He mostly hated the fact he could kill them while see him in a weak position. The Joker hated a lot of things really.

"Are we going to make him a priority?" Edward asked once they were far enough into the hall. Jervis shrugged.

"I'm in no immediate hurry to figure it out. There's still the matter of-"

POP.

Edward and Jervis ducked down around the corner. RAT TAT TAT plop plop plop.

Lights.

Shells.

Smoke.

Bullets.

Someone at the end of the hall had a gun and they were not shy about it. Jervis checked his body to make sure that there were no red surprises.

"NYGMA."

Edward peered around the corner. He couldn't make out who the figure was that had called him out.

"What!"

Not his most eloquent response of the night. Jervis remained glued to his little wall of protection.

At least he could say he was no longer bored.

"YOU KILLED MURPHY. LETHAL PROTOCOL HAS BEEN ACTIVATED."

"I didn't kill anyone!"

Edward ducked back when the shots started again.

"I AM TO ESCORT YOU BACK DEAD OR ALIVE."

"I see he's chosen dead." Edward slid down the wall and tried to think of an appropriate comeback. Nothing in particular came to mind. He turned to Jervis.

"Have I killed anyone? I mean lately."

Jervis shook his head.

The RAT TAT TATTing had started again. But only further away. Edward had wanted to look.

"GET OFF OF ME."

RAT TAT TAT TAT

SCAT.

Cries of intense agony and terror. Edward grabbed his ears in vain trying to keep out the sounds. He tore the skin inside his ear. The gun fire had ceased. Edward looked over. The man was lying on the ground.

Edward cursed himself silently as he raised himself from the ground and walked slowly and alert down that dark hall.

Jervis looked up.

Something told him to look up.

"_Jervis_."

Jervis turned to his right.

The most beautiful creature he ever seen stood before him. Her blue dress was dusty and covered with filth. Her golden hair had been stained with a dark substance. She reached out a hand towards him.

"Jervis! What are you doing! Come on!"

Jervis broke their connection and turned to the sound of Edward's nagging sound. When Jervis turned back, that magnificent beauty had already left.

He got his feet and started walking in the direction of the sound.

"Harley, this isn't what I had in mind." Ivy sighed. Harley had decided that with their freedom their first act should be playing twister.

So there they were, two of the most infamous, powerful and violent women in Gotham, playing twister in the rec room of their prison.

"But it's fun because it's dark!" Harley squealed with delight.

"Right."

Ivy got up from her contorted position and straightened herself out. Harley frowned and fell on her rear.

"You're not having any fun, Red?"

"No." Ivy didn't have the energy to deal with her friend's childish antics.

"Ooooooh. We could visit Mistah J!"

"No." That was the last thing she had wanted to do. She made up her mind and started on her trek. Harley jumped to her feet and eagerly followed suit.

"Where are going?"

"My garden."

"Boring!"

Ivy, had she had the engery would have attacked her but she didn't so instead she chose to growl and walk faster.

"Slow down, Red!"

"If you can't keep up it isn't my fault."

"Why don't we just leave?"

"And go where? Toxic Acres is gone and Edward sold that apartment."

"We could always go-"

Ivy stopped abruptly and turned on the best glare she manage at the moment.

"I am _not_ spending any time in your twisted love nest with that jackass." Harley took a step back and swallowed the rest of her ideas. She made an eeep sound and nodded. Ivy turned back around satisfied that her message was received.

"_Die_!"

Both girls stopped.

Mary Dahl was kicking at nothing rather furiously. Harley had made the mistake of choosing Mary as her buddy in the buddy program. Girl's stories about her time with Killer Croc had given her nightmares. None of her therapists could offer any relief. Some even took waaaaaay too much joy from her pain.

"Mary, what are you doing?" Ivy looked around in case there was something in the dark ready to attack. Mary jumped and then shrugged.

"What do you think?"

Ivy looked to Harley who had turned her back on them and had fingers in her ears. Ivy looked back at Mary who was once again kicking at nothing.

"That bastard. All he cares about is money and killing! He never gave me the time of day! He never appreciated all I did for him! He just took and took and took all that I had!"

Ivy looked at the empty space. That was supposed to Killer Croc? Had Mary lost her mind in a whole new way?

"I loved him you know!"

Ivy did not have time for this. She continued on. Harley followed once she had realized she had moved.

"What was that about?" Harley dared to take another look back. Her friend shrugged.

"I don't know."

They continued on.

"Something weird is going on." Harley had a bad feeling about this.

"I-"

"Do you hear that?"

Harley pushed Ivy out of the way and ran down the hall. Gun fire. Shouts. Harley peered out the corner. A man, she assumed, with a gun had been shouting down the hall.

Down the hall was one of her friends! Eddie! He would know something fun to do! Before she had to intervene the man collapsed to his knees and started to fire at the wall.

"GET OFF."

Ivy figured it out.

"I've seen this before."

"What's wrong with him?"

The man dropped his gone and his body began to convulse. Ivy walked over to the soon to be corpse and with her foot turned him over to her direction.

"Red?"

"He's dead."

"Huh? But nothing happened."

"Harley? Pamela?" Harley happily greeted her friend. Edward looked at the corpse.

"Did you do this? He said he wanted to take me into custody."

"Crane."

The color drained from his face. Edward was increasingly happy that it was dark.

"Johnny? But he wouldn't release his toxins on us!" That's it! Someone had taken advantage of the situation and stolen his chemicals and released them.

"You really are too trusting."

Edward did not need this.

"Jervis!"

Perhaps shouting wasn't the best thing to do in the situation but that was a logical thought and at the moment he didn't have room to be completely logical. Something itched at the back of his brain. He needed to get out of here. Out of this place. Fast and now.

"I'm going back to my cell. I don't need this." Ivy already started walking back the way she came. She did not care about one of Crane's fear experiments. The toxin didn't affect her and she really didn't care to be covered by the carnage that was sure to come.

"Reeeeed!"

She ignored her friend. Mind was made up. Harley frowned. She really did want to play with all of her friends.

"Reeed! But you have nothing to do!"

"I have nothing to do now!"

"But we're together? I miss you!"

Ivy hated herself for turning back around. She knew that Harley would be pouting and have cancer of the puppy. Teary eyes and a pathetic face. Ivy tried to fight the urge to care. But.

She found her feet disobeying her desires as she walked back in Harley and Edward's direction.

" 'Sides I know Johnny would like to see you too." She said this into Ivy's ear and low enough so that Edward could not hear. Ivy clenched her jaw and fists. Harley giggled and skipped down the hall.

"Jervis!"

Edward walked in that direction.

Ivy really hated the human race. She followed her companions.

"Don't let Harley in that room." Edward said as they past where The Joker was tied up.

"Why."

"Joker is tied to a chair in there."

"Good."

_Back to our lovely doctors_

The guard by the door with scary gun put the gun down and stretched out his arms. The doctors stayed huddled in a group together. They were unsure about this man and his motives. He looked at his wrist and that same odd smile spread across his lips.

"It's time."

He opened the door and turned his head to the doctors.

"Stay here until I return."

They group said nothing and he left.

Outside the room a black briefcase has been left. The guard picked it up and opened it as he walked down the dark hallway. It was a computer of some kind. He tapped at the keys. He turned his attention upward.

The lights had returned.

He whilstled as he passed several people crumpled into messes and whimpering. He tutted as some tried to attack him.

"That's just rude."

He took those rude ruffians out with one well planted maneuver to the face. Honestly. The temperament of the youth.

He found the room he wanted. Like he had expected he was still there. He strode over and kneeled in front of the man with the bag over his face.

"I see no one came to your aid."

"You."

"Me." He replied back mildly.

"I'll kill you." The Joker was tried and felt like hot fire. He was in no mood for his usual dances.

"That's the point to this test. You're still here. Doesn't that tell you something?"

"I'll. . . take out your eyes first." Talking was work. He tried to raise his but it felt like anvils were weighing him down.

"It doesn't have to be this way."

"Then. Then I'll cut out your tongue."

The guard patted Joker on the head and stood up.

"You do that. I have to take care of a few loose ends now."

The guard left with even more of a skip to his beat and glided down the hallway.

Twists. Turns. Hop hop skip slid and run run run and turn! He found the room he wanted. He stood behind the man at the monitors.

"What do you want, Hush? That's who you are isn't it?"

"And you're an Arkham, aren't you?

Both creatures smiled.

"What do you want?"

"Lockup is a fascinating character to study." The man known as Hush leaned against the chair in front of him.

"Was he?"

"Was? Try _is_. He's dedicated to security and law you know. Like that other twisted version of justice Two-Face has. I admire both. I don't think Lockup would like this though." Hush nodded his head to the monitors. The unlocked cells and chaos.

"Extreme measures had to be taken. My family dedicated it's life to curing Gotham of illness."

"I know about what happened to those family members. Insanity and murder."

"I have done nothing to harm anyone."

"I don't like this." Hush pressed something against the young Arkham's head.

"Killing me won't stop anything."

Hush considered this. He pulled the trigger.

He pushed the body out of the chair.

"Time to save Arkham."

He cracked his knuckles and began.


	8. So That Happened

_It was one of those moments. I can't explain it more than that. Just one of those moments. The Earth stood still. No. Not still. Fast. The room was spinning so fast that everything looked so slow. Like the images were set to slow motion and I was watching like I was an observer, a voyeur._

_Jervis was being useless as always. Harley had gone off when she found out where her "Puddin" was and Pamela. The lights went out. The lights went out. The lights went out and that's all I can remember._

_And now I'm here. I don't know where the world went but I think I'd like to get back to it. Can you show me the way, Tin-Man?_

"Oh, look you're conscious." Jonathan had a notebook. He didn't want a notebook but it was what he could find on such short notice. Edward had taken to the toxin better than anticipated. Jervis even. But he wasn't important at the moment.

Edward looked left to right and left. He had old crazy eyes, covered in sweat and speechless. A suitable look and state of mind.

"I don't _really _have anything against you, but a mutual friend wanted you out of the way. I knew you wouldn't just come to me if I asked." Jonathan shrugged and continued writing.

"I know you." Edward's voice was breathless. Why was he so tried anyway? He's been asleep for an hour.

"Yes."

Edward tried to move the rest of his body but found it impossible. His arm refused to corporate. His body was on strike.

"What do you want?" He tried to keep fear out of his voice. Fear is bad. Fear is that monsters ice cream.

"Me? Nothing from you, really."

"_You can let him go. It's over now."_

That voice. Edward searched for the source. He knew that voice! He had been sort of allies and friends with that voice! What was the name? He knew the name. On the tip of his tongue.

"Tommy!"

"_Edddie. I'm done here."_

Jonathan held out his hand. Edward couldn't take it on account of his body and the strike. Jonathan sighed and pulled the man into an upright position.

"You may leave." Jonathan walked away.

"What's going on?" Edward fell back down.

"Nothing important." Jonathan said without looking back as he left the room.

Edward didn't have time to think about another question. Arkham's finest ran into the room and carried him off.

* * *

><p>"Apparently it was a favor." Jervis said over lunch. It's been a week and the toxins had left his system. Jonathan told him the whole story. They were friends. Or something. Edward didn't want those details.<p>

"Arkham had hired some people from Blackgate to let us loose so we would go mad. His theory is that if the mad are left with the mad, it would cancel each other out."

"How did he manage to get a crew from Blackgate if he was locked up?" Jervis and Edward sat in silence. Stupid question. They both had managed to both have their own little dealings whilst inside Arkham.

"How did Tomm-Hush find out about this?" Jervis shrugged.

"That's one thing Jonathan never expanded upon. I would guess that Hush likes to keep his allies happy. Perhaps he wants you to be in his debt. I don't think he came here out of the goodness of his heart."

"Do you regret not escaping when we had the chance?"

"No."

Edward looked at the cup of tea. He wished he had some bourbon. He was in Hush's debt. He needed a stiff drink.

"Do you want to raid Cash's fridge?"

"Not tonight. My shoulder only just healed."

Edward frowned. He look over at the unconscious guards. It would be such a waste if they didn't take this opportunity to do something.

"We should get back to our block. The reinforcement will be here soon." Jervis finished the last of the tea. He hated to waste it.

"I think I need a vacation." Edward didn't move. EI sounded beautiful. Jervis gathered his belongings and understood.

"A week?" He looked to their mess.

"Possibly more, but it's what I need."

Jervis nodded. He jogged. He couldn't be caught for Edward's plan to work. He sat there.

And waited.

He smiled as he felt the strong arms pull him to his feet. He wanted this. Needed this.

A break. A break from the world. He didn't fight as he was beaten and dragged along the hall.

Everything sounded like Heaven.

* * *

><p>Harley sighed. She didn't mind gardens or plants or flowers or anything. She just didn't like spending all of her activity time getting her hands dirty over things she didn't care about. Pamela cooed and awwed over her "children." She was ever the proud parent.<p>

"They're growing well. Harley, are you watering yours?" Harley's plants looked half dead. Pamela frowned. She hated to see plants suffer. Harley smiled and shrugged.

"I guess I'm just not a gardener, Red." Harley had ten minutes left of activity before she had to go back to her cell. The TV room. The TV wasn't being used. She felt a part of her leave.

"Go." Red knew her so well. Harley kissed her on the cheek and skipped to the TV lounge. Pamela rubbed her cheek with her shoulder and continued to pet her precious plants.

The room was hopping. Jonathan and Jervis were in a chess showdown. Mary was playing board games. Pudding was in ICU for another week and Edward still had some time in EI before he would be released. Something about fighting with guards. Not his usual behavior.

TV.

She jumped on the couch like it was a bouncing castle and grabbed the remote. TV time.

She pressed the button.

Nothing.

She pressed the button.

Nothing.

"It's broken." Two-Face said. Harley hadn't noticed that he was there. Her couch buddy. She leaned over and squinted. He was reading some law magazine.

"Oh. Whatcha reading."

"You can see the cover, can't you?" He turned a page, content with not having a conversation.

"You still care about that stuff?"

"I'm a lawyer."

"Oh. I still like psychology! I used to get this one called Psychology Today. I haven't renewed it though."

Silence.

She twiddled her thumbs and kicked her feet. She hated awkward silences. What could they talk about? How much they hated Batman?

She opened her mouth to speak.

"Time's up. Back to your cell's. Come on."

Harley frowned. Harvey got his feet faster than she had liked and followed orders. New mission.

Be friends with Harvey!


End file.
